Words
distinguish vs separate — telling apart vs setting apart
A side-by-side comparison of meaning, examples, and nuance.
distinguish
/dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/
tell apart, set apart
To see or hear the difference between two things.
separate
/ˈsɛpəreɪt/ (verb), /ˈsɛprət/ (adjective)
divide, distinct
To cause to move apart or be apart.
Core difference
"Distinguish" is mental — telling two things apart by their features: "Can you distinguish silk from polyester?" "Separate" is physical — actually pulling them apart: "Please separate the red blocks from the blue ones." Perceiving → distinguish; dividing → separate.
Translations of distinguish and separate in 14 languages
| Language | distinguish | separate |
|---|---|---|
| 한국어 | 구별하다, 식별하다 | 분리하다, 별개의 |
| English | tell apart, set apart | divide, distinct |
| 简体中文 | 区分，辨别 | 分开, 独立的 |
| 繁體中文 | 區分，辨別 | 分開, 獨立的 |
| 日本語 | 区別する、見分ける | 分ける, 別々の |
| Tiếng Việt | phân biệt, nhận diện | tách ra, riêng biệt |
| Português | distinguir, diferenciar | separar |
| Français | distinguer | séparer |
| Deutsch | unterscheiden | trennen |
| Español | distinguir | separar |
| Монгол | ялгаж салгах, ялгах | тусгаарлах |
| Bahasa Indonesia | membedakan | memisahkan |
| Bahasa Melayu | membezakan | mengasingkan |
| ไทย | แยกแยะ, จำแนก | แยก |
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